The amount of tax you pay in California differs depending on where you buy the food. California does not have a food tax. This means that there is not a tax included with food purchases that you make at a grocery store or a convenience store. On the other hand, if you buy food at a restaurant, expect to pay taxes on purchased food. Tax is not placed on hot beverages, hot bakery items or cold prepared food that you order to go.

1. Enter into your calculator or write on a piece of paper the amount of the bill for the food and beverages you have purchased. For this example, assume the bill is $48.55.

2. Find the sales tax rate for the city in which the restaurant is located. This sales tax ranges from between 7.25 to 8.75 percent. The California Board of Equalization lists the sales tax of each city on its website. For this example, assume the restaurant is in Anaheim, where the sales tax rate is 7.75 percent.

3. Multiply $48.55 by 0.0775. The result is $3.76. This means the restaurant tax in Anaheim on a $48.55 meal is $3.76.